Adjustable nose splint



A 9, ms, J. G; BONDE 2,398,073

ADJUSTABLE NOSE SYLINT Filed April 7, 1945 I N l/E N TOP 1/0815? BOA/DE Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE NOSE SPLINT Joseph G. Bonde, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application April 7, 1945, Serial No. 587,036

6 Claims. (01. 128-87) This invention relates to splints, and particularly to adjustable splints, for the more or less eiiective control of the direction and form and rate of the gradually reducing inflammation of the cartilage of a persons nose following surgery or following an accident to the nose, the general object being to retard reduction of the inflammation longitudinally of the nose and to accelerate reduction of the inflammation transversely of the nose in order to achieve the usually preferred end result of a relatively slender nose.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an adjustable nose splint constituted of an unusually small number of component parts and each of an extremely simple structure, whereby economy with respect to manufacture and maintenance and whereby relatively trouble-free use by persons not skilled in the art are made possible, as well as considerable durability.

Previously proposed nose splints, nose shapers and nose formers, and even some actually reduced to practice, have been all more or less complicated, heavy and generally vision-obstructive to the splint user. Therefore, among additional objects and advantages in this invention are its unusually light weight and extreme compactness, particularly with respect to its dimension transverse of the bridge of the nose.

The principles of the instant invention can be incorporated in a number of more or less different embodiments, all of which can and will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. Of them, I have selected three for description herein and for illustration in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is an exploded plan view of the disassembled but alined two side members and two other members, together constituting the first of said three embodiments.

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the foregoing.

Figure 3 is an end view of the foregoing, as seen from the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Figure 2, but with said members assembled, a certain wing section which will be referred to, being shown only fragmentarily.

Figure 4 is a profile view of a person using one of said three embodiments.

Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of two side members, part of a second one of said three embodiments and unlike but functionally corresponding to said side members in said first embodiment.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of two side members, part of a third one of said three embodiments and unlike but functionally corresponding to said side members in the other two said embodiments.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, said first embodiment, a substantially symmetrical nose splint is seen to consist of a centrally disposed screw I I, a central housing, I3, therefor, of attenuated cross-sectional form, axially transverse to, specifically, substantially normal to, the median plane of symmetry, MM, of the splint. The housing I3 is constituted'of the two narrow end walls, I5 and I 6, and of the two main walls, 1'! and I8.

Side member l2 consists of a relatively large, nose-flanking wing section l9, a relatively small, hole-provided; screw-receiving lug 20 and two relatively small arms 2I and 22, that are both transversely slidably disposable interiorly of the housing I3. Side member I4 consists of a relatively large nose-flanking wing section 23, a relatively small, hole-provided, screw-receiving lug 24 and two relatively small arms 25 and 26, that also are transversely slidably disposable interiorly of the housing I3.

The two mutually opposed ends of the screw I l are indicated by 21 and 28, and a flange thereon, by 29.

Main wall ll of the housing I3 is outwardly displaced along a long locus 30, adjacent and parallel with the axis of the housing, indicated by A-A, which is also substantially the axis of the screw, whereby the axis-corresponding part of the thru-opening of the housing is enlarged relatively to the other parts of the thru-opening. See Figure 3.

The screw II is passed thru the lug 2B of side member I2, flanked by the two arms 2I and 22, and thru the housing 30, and thru the lug 24 of side member I I, flanked by the two arms 25 and 26, the hole in the lug 24 being internally helically threaded correspondingly to the thread of the end 2'! of screw II, for receiving said end, the hole in lug 20 of side member l2 not being provided with a thread, In theassembled state, the two arms, 2| and 22, of side member I2, overlie the two arms, 25 and 26, of side member I4. When the splint is in use, with the two wing sections, l9 and 23, flanking and pressing on the sides of the nose of a person, the reaction against such pressure causes arms 25 and 26 to press directly on, to bear against, main wall I! of the housing, and causes arms 2| and 22 to bear respectively against arms 25 and 26 and to exert a pressure therefore indirectly on wall I I of the housing. By this arrangement, the two side members, on opposite sides of the median plane are adjustably disposable relatively thereto, and are respectively retained by the two ends 21 and 28 of the screw, the flange 29 thereof abutting against side mem ber I2 under all degrees of spacing between the two side members.

In Figure 5, the length of thread in the lug is doubled by providing the primary wing-sectionadjoining lug-extension 3| with a secondary lugextension therefrom 32 and bending it backwardly pressure is not desirable; the nose-flanking wing sections must be allowed to pivot within reasonable limits so as to be able to adjust themselves to varying angular relationships and the like among the portions embraced by them. This pivoting is made possible by providing the housing withinternal dimensions appreciably in excess of the collective dimensions of the therein Contained arms and screw, whereby they, particularly the arms; flt loosely therewithin.

In Figure 3, the wing section is shown only iragmentarily. A conception of its full form may be had from the views of the wing sections in the other views, ranging from full to nearly full. It is assumed that, other than the modifications induced. by the diflerent lugs, the same form of wing section prevails in the case of all three said embodiments.

In Figure 4, the nose splint 33 is seen maintained in the desired position by, tape 39, provided with an opening accommodating and restrained by the head of the screw of the splint, the tape being secured about the head of the user.

The housing, the arms and the screw may be regarded as the component parts of a bridge between the two wing sections.

Instead of a screw, a metal tie riveted to one of the two wing sections, may be employed maintaining pressural relationship between the wing sections and the nose,v the end of the tie, which is disposed thru the housing, is bent around the far edge of the wall thereof, with the other side member immovably fixed thereto.

The splint is aswell adapted to nose-forming and nose-shaping as it is to post-surgical treatment of the nose. Because the latter application is the wider and more important one, I prefer to call it an adjustable nose splint,

In all embodiments, each wing section is optionally but preferably curved on a radius centered on a medi'an-plane-parallel axis spaced from the section bya distance greater than the length of the section. The locus of this axis is represented by the dot-in-a-circle, X, in Figure 1. The reason for this curvature is to render unlikely irritation of the flesh of the nose by an otherwise too closely disposed edge of the section, and to permit the section, in combination with the already described moderate pivotability thereof, to adapt itself to varying angular and other relationships among the parts under pressure.

I claim:

1. A substantially symmetrical adjustable nose splint including: a central screw and a central tubular housing therefor of attenuated crosssectional form, axially transverse to: the median plane of symmetry of the splint and constituted of two main walls and two narrowend walls, said screw being adapted to extend thru said housing, with the two mutually opposed ends of the screw outside of said housing; two side members on opposite sides of and adjustably disposable relatively to said median plane and respectively retained by the two-said screw ends.

2. A substantially symmetrical adjustable nose splint including: a centrally disposed screw and a central tubular housing therefor of attenuated cross-sectional form, axially transverse to the median plane of symmetry of the splint and constituted oftwo'main wallsand two narrow end walls, said screw being adapted-to extend thru said housing, with the two mutually opposed ends of the screw outside of said housing; two side members on opposite sides of and adjustably disposable relatively to said median plane and respectively retained by the two said screw ends; each of said side members including a relatively large nose-flanking wing section, at least one relatively small screw-receiving lug and at least one relatively small arm transversely slidably disposable interiorly of said. housing; said screw, said arm and said housing collectively constituting, at. least contributively, a bridge between said wo wing sections.

3. A substantially symmetrical adjustable nose splint including: a centrally disposed screw and a central tubular housing therefor of attenuated cross-sectional form, axially, transverse to the median plane of symmetry of the splint and constituted of two'main walls and two narrow end walls, said; screw being adapted to extend thru said housing, with the two mutually opposed ends of the screw outside of said housing; two side members on opposite sides of and adjustably disposable relatively to said median plane and respectively retained by the two said screw ends; each of said side members including a relatively large nose-flanking wing section, a relatively small screw-receiving lug and two relatively small arms flanking said lug and transversely slidably disposable interiorly of said housing; said screw, said arms and said housing collectively constituting, at least contributively, abridge between said two wing sections.

4. A substantially symmetrical adjustable nose splint including: a centrally disposed screw and a central tubular housing therefor of attenuated cross-sectional form, axially transverse to the median plane of symmetry of the splint and constituted of two main walls and two narrow end walls, said screw being adapted to extend thru said housing, with the two mutually .opposed ends of the screw outside of said'housing; two. side members on opposite sides of and 'adjustably disposable relatively to said median plane and respectively retained by the two said screw ends; each of said side members including a relatively large nose-flanking wing, section, a relatively small screw-receiving, lug and two relatively small arms flanking said lug and transversely slidably disposable interiorly of said housing; said screw, said arms and said housing collectively constituting, at least contributively, a bridge between said two wing sections; one of said two main walls being outwardly displaced along a long locus adjacent and parallel with the axis of said housing, whereby the axis-correspondin part of said thru-opening is thereat enlarged relatively to the other parts of said. thru-opening.

5. A splint as in claim, 2, each of said wing sections having the form of a plate that is curved about a median-plane-parallel axis.

6. A splint as in claim 3, each of said wing sections having the form of a plate that is curved about a median-plane-parallel axis.

JOSEPH G. BONDE. 

